Welcome to Hockliffe Cemetery

General

1. Where the person to be interred [or in respect of whom the Right is granted] is or was before his or her death, a parishioner of Hockliffe [at the discretion of the Parish Council].
2. In the case of a still-born child, where the parents [or one of them] were, at the time of death, residents of Hockliffe.
3. Where a parishioner was forced to leave the Parish for reasons of age or infirmity or other exceptional cases as agreed by the Parish Council.
4. It is permissible to reserve burial plots by purchasing the exclusive right of burial or a burial plot for cremation, thus reserving part of the plot for future interment.
In accordance with Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977, in the case of re-opening of an already purchased plot and where the owner is not the person to be interred, all necessary paperwork must be in place prior to the interment date. This is also the case when applying for a monument, all paperwork must be in place prior to the erection of the Monument.
5. The following table of charges, fees and conditions fixed to apply from the 16th July 2020 by Hockliffe Parish Council.

1. When an exclusive right of burial is acquired, the full name and address of the purchaser must be supplied. There is a maximum number of 3 to be named on the deed. Purchasers shall not dispose of their rights without the consent of the Council.
2. The Exclusive Right of Burial in a grave space shall be conveyed by deed of grant to the purchaser, who must be a relative of the deceased or acting on the deceased person’s wishes.
3. Monuments, gravestones and other memorials shall be erected on only those graves where the exclusive right of burial has been purchased and only after a period of 6 months have elapsed since interment. Please read ‘Charges and Conditions’ for more information.
4. A drawing of every monument or gravestone proposed to be erected, showing its dimensions, the method of fixing and a copy of the inscription intended to be placed thereon, must be submitted to the Parish Clerk. No monument or gravestone will be permitted into the Cemetery until it has been approved and the appropriate fee paid. Installation will be permitted only by either a British Register of Accredited Monumental Masons (BRAMM) or National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM) member and after a period of 6 months has elapsed since interment.
5. An Exclusive Right of Burial grant must be submitted at the time of application, if the person applying is not the person named on the grant then enough time must be allowed for all necessary paperwork to be put in place, prior to erection of the monument at the Cemetery, this is in accordance with the Local Authorities Cemeteries Order 1977.
6. Memorial Masons MUST ensure the plot number and section references are clearly engraved on the bottom right hand corner on the back of the stone [except in Section D tablet stones].
7. The Parish Council has the power to remove unauthorised memorials and gravestones.
8. All materials, gravestones and monuments must be conveyed from the Main Road or car park area using hand barrows. If any damage is caused to the grass, shrubs, trees, buildings or monuments or any other property by the bringing in or removal of materials, the erection of work or otherwise, the person causing such damage or injury shall be liable for the expense of making it good.
9. Every gravestone or monument shall be kept clean and in good repair by the owner. The Parish Council reserves the right to remove or lay down any gravestone or monument that the owner neglects to comply with this Regulation or if the monument is found unsafe. Every effort will be made to contact the owner at their last known address to notify them of this decision as well as posting a notice on the grave and in the local press.
10. Flowers or shrubs not exceeding 1 foot in height may be planted on any private grave subject to the control of the Parish Council, who reserves the right to remove or reduce any such plant if they become unsightly or overgrown or more than 1 foot in height or if the grave has to be re-opened.
11. The Parish Council reserves the right to remove faded flowers, vases, bottles, tins or any other objects which are untidy or objectionable from any grave.
12. In all cases where, in the opinion of the Parish Council, a grave is not properly maintained and kept tidy, the Parish Council may give instructions for the grave to be levelled and turfed, so that Grounds Maintenance staff can keep the grave in good repair. Every effort will be made to contact the owner at their last known address to notify them of this decision as well as posting a notice on the grave and in the local press.
13. The Parish Council outlines a set space for monuments and planting on a plot, should these dimensions not be adhered to, the Parish Council reserves the right to reduce the area if necessary. Overall dimensions of a burial plot are 2’ 6” x 7’ and a cremation plot 2’ 6” x 3’.

The Cemetery will be open to the public throughout the year, but the Parish Council reserves the right to exclude the public if this should be necessary on any particular occasion. In this case, where possible, notice of closure would be displayed within the Cemetery prior to the date.
Children under the age of 12 years are not permitted in the Cemetery unless in the care of a responsible person. All persons must keep on the paths and must not interfere with gravestones, monuments, plants or flowers.
Smoking is strictly prohibited within the Cemetery whilst a funeral is in progress. Dogs must be kept under control at all times and on a lead.

1. Notice of interment must be sent directly to the Parish Clerk at least 3 days prior to Interment. In the case of a second interment in an already purchased plot and where the Exclusive Right of Burial grant is not in the name of the person to be interred, sufficient time must be allowed for this process to take place and ensure all necessary paperwork has been sought and approved prior to the interment date.
2. The Certificate of Cremation must be provided prior to the interment date.
3. Payment of fees and charges are made via bank credit only. For details of our bankers, please make contact with the Parish Clerk prior to the Interment date.
4. The Parish Clerk will allocate grave space within the currently used section of the Cemetery; any variation on this shall be subject to the approval of the Parish Council.
5. The depth of Interment shall be controlled by the Parish Council. No grave shall be deepened after the first Interment. When more than one Interment takes place in a grave there shall be a layer of earth not less than six inches between each coffin. No parts of any coffin shall be less than four feet below the level of the ground adjoining the grave.
6. The Parish Council reserves the right to change a burial plot should severe weather conditions mean that a plot is flooded, rendering grave digging and subsequent Interment impossible.
7. The Funeral Director or person making the arrangements for the burial must bear responsibility for ensuring adequate insurance cover. A minimum of £5m public liability insurance is required.
8. The Registrars or Coroners’ certificate must be produced prior to the interment date.
9. The Parish Council reserves the right to level ground after Interment should there be subsequent subsidence of soil on the grave. [except in the case of a stillborn child in accordance with Local Authorities Cemeteries Act 1977]
10. All funeral Directors and Grave Diggers must follow the Parish Council guidelines for interment procedures as described further on this page.

HOCKLIFFE CEMETERY

The fees, payment and charges set out below apply where the person to be interred or in respect of whom the right is granted is, or immediately before his death was an inhabitant or parishioner of the Parish of Hockliffe or, in the case of a still-born child, where one of the parents is, or at the time of the interment was, such an inhabitant or parishioner.  In all other cases the fees, payments and charges will be fivefold, excluding monuments.

The fees indicated for the various heads of items 1 and 2 –

• do not include the digging of the grave
• apply only where interment is made between the hours of 10.00 am and 4.00 pm on a weekday or where interment is made on the certificate of a coroner or registered medical practitioner that immediate interment is necessary. In any other case an additional £5.00 is payable.

Cemetery Fees - 2024 - 31.3.2025

Hockliffe Parish Council (HPC) will treat requests for memorial benches, picnic tables and trees in public spaces sympathetically.

The guiding principles for decisions will be:

• The memorial must be of benefit to all users of the public space.
• The next of kin of the person memorialised must give written consent.
• The memorial must be on land owned or managed by HPC.
• The memorial and any plaque attached thereto must not be offensive.
• There must be an agreement in place for maintenance, repair, removal, or replacement.
• HPC will not grant applications for memorials to pets.

Click here to apply